Project for historic city of York is a once in a lifetime opportunity

Senior councillors in York will take a “once in a lifetime opportunity” as they prepare to give the green light to the largest regeneration project the historic city has ever seen.

A report will be put to the Executive next Thursday which outlines the ambition for the 45 hectare development to revitalise and invigorate York’s economy, providing housing, community facilities and public spaces.

It also reveals the final masterplan for the largest regeneration York has ever seen, produced by The York Central Partnership following extensive consultation with local residents and businesses that have been on-going in various forms for many years.

Key features of the masterplan include 2,500 homes; Grade A office accommodation; 2,400 parking spaces; bus, cycle and pedestrian routes; almost seven hectares of park and public space; a new western entrance to the railway station and a central gallery for the National Railway Museum with a train ride through the park and space for locomotives to be displayed in a new Museum Square.

The report to executive also proposes a Memorandum of Understanding between the York Central Partners, which will become a formal partnership agreement, once costs and funding are confirmed in the autumn.

Tamsin Hart-Jones, York Central Partnership project manager said: “We have worked hard to get to this stage and, as a partnership, set out our shared ambitions for York Central to ensure that social, environmental and economic benefits are delivered across the city.

“The Memorandum of Understanding is a signal of the commitment by all four organisations involved in this partnership to make this happen and deliver the largest regeneration York has ever seen.”